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Local law enforcement authorities are learning how to deal with stress at a time when an already-high-anxiety-profession like policing faces even more scrutiny than arguably ever before, but South Texas Health System in McAllen wants to help.
Heidi Balleza-Ruiz, a licensed professional counselor at the STHS behavioral hospital, is one of those individuals who offered a hand, and on Thursday, April 28, led an STHS presentation for the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office about stress management.
Balleza-Ruiz, who visited the sheriff’s office to speak to employees who work both in law enforcement and in an administrative capacity, explained Wednesday how working to cope with stress not only benefits the mental health of law enforcement authorities but can equip them to be better public servants.
First, she said, it’s necessary for authorities to identify their personal affinity for law enforcement and community.
“I think that it is really important for people to look introspectively to figure out what their meaning and their purpose is, which is to help others,” she said.
The counselor also told the sheriff’s office that not all stress is negative in interpretation, and in certain cases can be wielded as a method to provide self-accountability.
Like Balleza-Ruiz, sheriff’s Captain David Friedlein believes that taking care of one’s mental health plays a vital role on how officers are able to interact within the community.
According to Friedlein, the stresses of law enforcement are not necessarily seen often but very much existent.
“Mental health has always been a very taboo subject for law enforcement, but we like everyone else are human,” Friedlein said Wednesday, adding that having the tools to deal with stress is imperative. “It was really fantastic that we have county leaders and the public that recognize that and … are helping provide resources for us to manage stress.”
He explained a law enforcement career requires officers to be “hyper vigilant” due to the unpredictability of situations they may encounter in the field.
They spend a large amount of time in a different mindset that can create tunnel vision, which is difficult to detach from their personal life.
“When the shift is over and the day is done it is not as simple as just turning it off, and you carry that with you and it could affect you personally,” Friedlein said. “I think that this presentation gave resources to help you learn how to effectively deal with that, recognizing that it is not as simple as just turning it off.”
Up to 30% of officers show symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder on a daily basis, STHS said in a news release.
During the presentation, Balleza-Ruiz explained that having a nutritious diet as well as sufficient amounts of exercise and sleep can also improve mental health and reduce stress levels.
“It leaves you hopeful that these are going to be tools that help your current officer and your next generation of officers,” Friedlein said.
